First Cats

Direct Support to First-Generation College Students

First Cats offers direct support from peers and professional staff for first-generation college students.

More than 10,000 UA students are First-Generation College students and are part of a large, diverse and strong community on the UA Campus. The University of Arizona First Cats was created to motivate and support students to attain a bachelor’s degree and prepare for the next step after college.

Who is a First-Generation College Student?

A student who comes from a home where neither parent/legal guardian has completed a four-year bachelor’s degree;

A student whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a country outside of the United States;

A student who has separated or divorced parents and the parent with primary custody, or with whom the student lives with a majority of the time, does not have a bachelor’s degree;

A student who was/is a homeless youth, in the foster care system, or a ward of the state.

You won't be able to spot a First-Generation College student, unless they are wearing one of the very cool First Cats pins (you can have one too). First-gen students come from a vast array of backgrounds, and bring yet another layer of diversity to the campus population.

There are many staff and faculty that were also First-Generation College Students and even more that support first-gen students. Some staff and faculty will have a small sign in their office space saying they were first-gen, or there could be a symbol on your syllabi symbolizing that the instructor was first-gen.